Telephone signaling system.



H. P. CLAUSEN.

TELEPHONE SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I, I9l4.

Patented Apr. 3, I917.

l V/fnes mama iii

HENRY 1. CLAUSEN, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY I'IIESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TELEPHONE SIGNALING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

Application filed. May 1, 1914. Serial No. 835,702.

lowing is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to a telephone slgnaling system, and more particularly to a signaling system intended for use on manually operated switchboards.

The object of this invention, broadly speaking, is to provide means for more equitably distributing the work of receiving and answering calls among operators assigned'to that duty.

One feature of this invention is the provision of means for automatically transferring calls originating in one position to any desired position. Specifically this means comprises a device which may be termed a signal allotter. The function of this device is to permit only one call at a time toremain upon any given operators position. In event a plurality of calls come in simultaneously upon one position, the calls to which the operator cannot give her immediate attention are automatically transferred to another operators position. The means for accomplishing this result may be made operable either when the operator plugs in to answer, or by a timing device automatically operated at the end of any predetermined interval.

The accompanying drawing is a circuit diagram showingapparatus wired in accordance with this invention.

In the drawing there are shown two sections E and F of a multi-section switchboard which are provided with the customary switchboard equipment consisting of lines terminating in spring jacks having associated with each line, a line relay, a cutoff relay, and a line lamp. Connections are made by means of the usual common battery operators cord circuit. In addition the-re is provided a'switching device G, which may be termed a signal allotter. The function of this device is to actuate a switching mechanism which causes a call to become apparent upon either of positions E or F, de-

members being carried upon a common guide or shaft which causes them to be shifted simultaneously between contacts 9 and 10; said contacts 9 and 10 enter into the circuit of the line lamps 6 associated with the subscribers line. The motive power for shifting contact members 5 is supplied by a pair of electromagnets 11 and 12, mounted upon opposite sides of an armature 31. The heel of said armature 31 has a plurality of notches 30, which are adapted to register with any suitable retaining member, such as member 32, said member locking said armature 31 in position after being actuated by either of electromagnets 11 or 12.

A timing element D, which may be termed a timer, is automatically actuated by any suitable means so that a movable contact member 27 alternately makes contact with contact points 28 and 29. Contact member 27 is connected to earth and may be rotated so as to contact with members 28 and 29 at the expiration of any desired predetermined interval. This feature may be accomplished by providing a motor 58 and a train of gears 59 for gearing said motor down so that contact member 27 is driven at any desired speed.

Associated with the signal allotter G and entering into the electrical circuit for operating said device, are electromagnets 16 and 22 which are slow in responding and normally energized. Electromagnets 15 and 21 having one side connected to grounded batteries 18 and 24, respectively, are included in a,

circuit of the line lamps 6 and are common to all of said line lamps upon the respective positions E and F. The operators cord circuits B and C have been provided with an extra relay 17 and 23, respectively, having one side connected to earth and energized by a source of current from battery 50, over the ring side of the line, through the subscribers set, back over the tip side of the line, through the upper contact of the operators listening key 35, and coil of relay 17 to ground.

The utility of this invention can best be illustrated by describing the manner in which a subscribers call is handled. Suppose a subscriber whose substation is No. 36 desires to call central. paratus beinglof any standard common battery type and connected to positions E and F by line wires 1 and 2, upon removing his receiver, will cause line relay 3 to be energized, which in turn causes line lamp 6 to be lighted. -Assume that thesignal allottcr (Jr has been shifted to operators bosition E, the operator at position E, upon seeing the line lamp 6 lighted, will plug into jack 7 by means of plug 141. This will energize the cutoff relay l which extinguishes line lamp 6. It will be noted that before the operator plugged in to answer, relay 15 was energized through the following path: grounded battery 18, coil of relay 15, line lamp 6, conductor 4:0, contact 9, movable contact member 5, conductor 41,.contact 13,

- to ground. Since relay 15 is common to all of the line lamps 6, it will remain energized as long'as a line relay associated with any l1ne on posltion E is energized, thus keeping contact 57 closed as long as an unanswered call remains on said position E. If, there- 'fore, another call has come in simultaneously with that of'subscriber No. 36, relay 15 will remain energized and contact 57 closed. In such an event the signal allotter G will have been shifted to position F, because the circuit-of magnet 12 will have been maintained closed through the following path: ground 20, front contacts 48, 55 and 57 of relays 17, 16, 15, respectively, conductors 45, 16, coil of magnet-12, to grounded battery 38. It

may be stated lfere that contact 55 remains closed suificiently long, due to the fact that relay 16 is slow in responding, to allow the completion of the circuit just described. It will be noted that an energizing circuit was established for the relay 17 when the operator actuated the listening key 35 after having inserted her answering plug 1 1, which circuit may be traced as follows: battery 50,

ring side of the line, through the subscribers set, back over the tip side of the line through the upper contact of the listening key 35, coil of relay 17 to ground. Upon the energiz'ation ofthe magnet 12 over the circuit traced above armature 31 will be attracted, which will cause the shaft or rod to shift the movable contact members 5 to position F. The operator of this position may then plug in and answer the calls which were transferred fromposition E on to po sition F. a

i In casethe switchingdevice G has been switched ,to the operators position F when subscriber 36' called central, as above described, said switching device would have been "shifted on to position E by the energization of magnet 11 through the following path: ground 26, front contacts 4:9, 56, 57

His substation .ap-

of relays 23, 22 and 21, respectively, conductors 412, 43, coil of magnet 11, to grounded battery 33.

It will be noted that the only time the signal allotter G is responsive to the operators cord circuit is when a plurality of calls come in simultaneously upon either of positions E or F. To more equitably distribute the calls between the operators at positions E and F, the timing element D is provided. As stated above, the moving contact member 27 may be made to rotate at any desired speed by means of motor 58. As this mem ber rotates it will alternately make contact with contact points 28 and 29 at the expiration of a predetermined time interval, depending upon the speed at which it is rotated. Assuming that the desired interval of time has been determined to be three seconds, at the end of each period of that length said contact member 27 will make contact alternately with the contact points 28 and 29. Assuming that the signal allotter G has been switched to position E, and that durin the space of three seconds a plurality of calls did not come in on position E, at the end of that period the contact member 27 would contact with contact 29. This would cause the signal allotter to be switched to position F by energizing electromagnet 12 through the following path: ground, member 27, contact 29, conductors 417, 4:6, coil of magnet 12, to grounded battery 33. The signal allotter now being shifted to position F, all calls coming in within the space of the next three seconds will become apparent upon position F. Of course, if a plurality of calls come in simultaneously, the signal allotter will be transferred back to position E when the operator plugs into answer.

By this invention it is possible to so distribute the calls between the two positions E and F that neither operator will have more than her share of calls to attend to, and at the same time the subscribers will secure attention more promptly than would be otherwise possible to render under present circumstances. Another advantage obtained by the switching means provided is the fact that neither operator will be overworked.

What is claimed is:

1. In a telephone exchange system, a switchboard, telephone lines terminating at a plurality of positions on said switchboards, an annunciator individual to'each of said lines at each of the positions at which it terminates, and means operating at the expiration of a predetermined time interval to transfer the control of an annunciator from one position to another.

2. In a telephone exchange system, a multisection switchboard, a subscribers line circuit terminating in different sections of said switchboard, a line annunciator associated with each terminal of said line at the switchboard, and means for transferring an incoming subscribers call from either of said sections to the other, said means comprising a switching device, said switching device being automatically operated when an operator plugs in to answer a call on her position.

3. In a telephone exchange system, a multisection switchboard, a subscribers line circuit terminating in different sections of said switchboard, a line annunciator associated with each terminal ofsaid line at said switchboard, means for transferring an incoming subscribers call from either of said sections to the other, said means comprising a switching device and an automatically operated time controlled circuit changing device controlling said switching device.

a. In a telephone exchange, a multi-section switchboard, subscribers line circuits terminating in difierent sections of said switchboard, a line annunciator individual to each terminal of each of said lines at said switchboard, and means for effecting the equitable distribution of incoming calls originating Copies of this patent may be obtained for over said subscribers lines, said means in cluding an automatically operating timecontrolled circuit changing device whereby calls originating in a predetermined time interval may become apparent only upon a given one of said sections.

5. In a telephone exchange, a multi-section switchboard, subscribers line circuits terminating in different sections of said switchboard, a line annunciator associated with each terminal of each of said lines at said switchboard, and means for distributing incoming calls, said means comprising a switching device, said device in one instance being conjointly controlled by contemporaneous acts 011 the part of the subscriber and the operator, in another instance by an automatically operated time-controlled circuit-changing device.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 29 day of April, A. D., 1914:.

HENRY P. CLAUSEN.

Witnesses:

KATHERINE L. STAHL, NANON E. TUTHILL.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

